Heat protocol forces every car to carry driver cooling hardware

The FIA has declared a heat hazard for the Italian Grand Prix, with the forecast heat index expected to exceed 31°C during the race. Every car must therefore carry the driver-cooling system hardware: pump, plumbing and cooling unit linked to the vest.

Wearing the vest remains optional. A driver who refuses it must retain the rest of the system and carry 0.5kg of ballast in the cockpit to neutralise the mass difference. Air temperatures are expected to exceed 30°C across all three days.

The rule follows the extreme conditions of Qatar 2023. At Monza it adds an integration and reliability constraint without creating a weight advantage, while dehydration and concentration can still matter late in the race.